Latest news with #Elizabeth
Indianapolis Star
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
How Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark's injury is affecting fans and ticket prices
INDIANAPOLIS — With hopes to meet Caitlin Clark, Kestas Jociuf and his 8-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, left their seats in section 119 and went to the tunnel next to the Indiana Fever bench. Before her family started their nine-hour drive from Minnesota to Indiana, Elizabeth painted a picture draped with Fever logos and a 'Caitlin, we love you' message. The Jociuf's attempt to meet Clark was successful. Elizabeth's painting now has a new owner. 'Caitlin actually took the picture,' Jociuf said. 'Elizabeth probably wrote Caitlin Clark at least 14 times on that drawing.' Elizabeth and her father also told Clark to feel better soon, to which she thanked them. The Fever announced Monday that Clark would miss at least two weeks with a left quad strain. Since Clark's injury, the Fever played the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun, losing both matchups. Indiana will be without their star guard for at least the next two games, when they host the Mystics on Tuesday and travel to the Chicago Sky on June 7. Jociuf and his wife, Sulema, had taken their daughter and 10-year-old son to see Clark when she visited the Minnesota Lynx last season. Elizabeth and her brother fell in love with Clark, so Sulema and Jociuf bought seats closer to the court for the family's first visit to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. While Sulema admitted she was worried for Clark after hearing of her injury, she said her kids were 'upset' when they learned Clark wasn't playing. 'The visit was worth it even though she's not playing because we wanted to experience Gainbridge and it's been great. They have a lot of cool things for the kids. Also, there are other good people on the team," Sulema said. 'I told them we can get more tickets later in the season (to watch Caitlin).' The family of four spent $900 on their tickets. On game day, the price for the same tickets in section 117 was $174.70. The price difference reflects the impact of Clark's injury on tickets. IndyStar collected data from Ticketmaster and found that selected ticket prices for Clark's future matchups against the Sun, Mystics and Sky, in which she is expected to play, increased by as much as 366%. Note: These are resale prices and may change daily. These numbers were logged up to two hours before the Fever and Sun tipped off Friday. The most expensive ticket in section 120 for Friday's contest against the Sun cost $86.25. When Indiana hosts the Sun on June 17, a ticket in the same section will cost $140.30, a 62.7% increase. The price difference for a seat nearer to the court when the Mystics return to town Aug. 15 is more consumer-friendly. A seat in section 116 on Tuesday will cost $391.95. The price will increase 11% when Washington makes its final regular-season visit to Indiana. Sky and Fever games are always a hot ticket, with Clark and Sky forward Angel Reese headlining the matchup. If a fan desires to sit in section 225 at the United Center and watch Indiana and Chicago square off in their WNBA Commissioner's Cup matchup, the cheapest ticket will cost $57.50. When the two teams reconvene in Chicago on July 27, the cheapest seat in section 225 will cost $267.95. More: What happened to Caitlin Clark? Here's what we know about her injury and when she'll play again Although Clark's availability may alter ticket prices, the impact of her presence remains the same. 'My 8- and 5-year-old daughters were sad not to see her play, but they were still glad to see her in the building,' said Chris Gerrity, a Fever fan who bought tickets for his family before Clark's injury was announced. 'We are still excited to support the city, the rest of the players and the WNBA.'
Irish Independent
14 hours ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Louth father of three outlines how life has changed for the better after return to education thanks to Headstart course
After battling personal challenges, Dean Bradley enrolled in Headstart in 2020, which was delivered entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The support and encouragement he received enabled him to pursue further education: 'The Headstart Programme gave me direction. The team taught me how to go with it, how to stay with it, and really just about resilience.' Dean's perseverance led him to complete multiple Level 5 and Level 6 courses, culminating in his current pursuit of a degree in Social Care at DkIT. He advises others considering the programme to 'Take it day by day and week by week. Don't look at the years. For me, life has really changed for the better.' He is one of a number former participants of the Pathways and Headstar community education programmes, delivered by Dundalk Institute of Technology in partnership with Louth Local Development's SICAP Social Inclusion Programme, who have been sharing their experiences of the courses. Likewise Elizabeth Awosanya, a mother of three, embarked on her educational journey through the Pathways programme before transitioning into Headstart. Now nearing the completion of her degree in Social Care, Elizabeth reflects on her experience, saying 'Pathways helped me build confidence, engage with learning at my own pace, and get a real feel for what higher education might be like in a non-intimidating way. Transitioning into Headstart deepened my readiness for third-level education and mentally and practically prepared me for the challenges of college life.' Elizabeth's journey illustrates the programmes' ability to provide a solid foundation for those returning to education, fostering both academic readiness and personal growth. Their views are shared by Laure Nzia Djakou, who has just completed her second year studying International Tourism and Management at DkIT. Having previously struggled to balance third-level education with other life commitments, the mother of three found renewed motivation and support through these programmes: 'The programmes were designed for people like me—mature students who needed a bit of encouragement and guidance. The supportive environment and the opportunity to build my confidence were exactly what I needed.' Laure now envisions a future where she can pursue a Masters degree or contribute to the tourism industry, all while managing her family commitments. The success of the Pathways and Headstart programmes was recognised recently DkIT was awarded €1 million in performance funding. The programmes were launched by DkIT in partnership with Louth Local Development n 2017 and 2018 with the aim of improving access to higher education for underrepresented groups in County Louth, including low-income households, ethnic minorities, refugees, asylum seekers, the long-term unemployed, lone parents, and individuals with disabilities or mental health issues. Pathways offered a 14-week introductory course in local community centres, providing a supportive environment for adults to experience higher education without the pressure of assignments. Headstart, a 10-week follow-up programme delivered on the DkIT campus, focused on building participants' self-confidence and academic skills, such as study techniques, time management, and career guidance. Graduates from these programmes have gone on to pursue degrees in various fields, including Social Care, Nursing, and Creative Media, and many have secured employment opportunities. Since 2017, a total of 325 students have graduated from the programmes. For the individuals taking part, both Pathways and Headstart have literally been life changing. The beneficiaries of the initiative have included people with disabilities, long term unemployed, migrants, one parent and low-income families, people with addiction issues, teenage parents, refugees, Irish Travellers, young people in the care of the State, youth attending Youthreach or similar programmes, student carers, 'second chance' mature learners, those in the criminal justice system, and people who are homeless. The next Headstart course starts on Wednesday September 3, 2025 and runs every Wednesday for ten weeks. Anyone interested in registering should email or call 0877462507.
Dublin Live
15 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Sisters of victim of Ireland's first serial killers break silence and demand justice
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Elizabeth Plunkett was just 23 years of age when she was murdered by Ireland's first serial killers almost 50 years ago. Career criminals John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans from Lancashire left the UK and travelled around Ireland in the summer of 1976, resolving to kill one woman a week. They had only recently been released from prison when they abducted and brutally raped Elizabeth before murdering her. They later told gardai their intention was to "kidnap, rape and kill one woman a week" for as long as they could get away with it. Their killing spree ended with the murder of Elizabeth and cook Mary Duffy, 24, in Co Mayo. They were both handed life sentences in February 1978. Shockingly, despite Englishman Shaw confessing to the brutal killing of Elizabeth in August 1976 along with his now deceased partner-in-crime Geoffrey Evans, the pair were never actually convicted of her murder. The DPP at the time decided only to prosecute them for another murder, of Mary Duffy. Ms Plunkett, from Ringsend in Dublin, was raped, strangled and her body was tied to a lawnmower, before being rowed out to sea at Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow. Her remains were found on Duncormick beach in Co Wexford four weeks later. Now, for the first time Elizabeth's sisters Bernie and Kathleen are speaking out as they seek justice for Elizabeth, through RTÉ's latest podcast series, Stolen Sister, presented by Roz Purcell. This is the first time that any of Elizabeth's family have spoken about her death publicly. They're determined to get justice for her and restore some dignity to Elizabeth's memory. "We had tried every avenue, everything," Bernie says on the podcast. "We appealed and appealed and appealed. We went to the DPP, they said no, the Garda Commissioner said no and we went to the State solicitor's office," said Bernie. "This is our last resort, breaking our silence." Stolen Sister begins with the story of Elizabeth and how she fell in love with her boyfriend Damien. After spending a holiday together in France, the couple decided to meet friends for a night away in Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow on August 28, 1976. When Elizabeth waved goodbye to her mother that afternoon, nobody knew that it would be the last time her family would see her. The pals gathered in a pub in Brittas for drinks but a disagreement broke out and Elizabeth ended up leaving the pub. Meanwhile, Shaw and Evans had left Fethard in Tipperary where they were laying low following their release from prison for robberies and had driven to Dublin to collect suitcases belonging to Evans. They later decided to drive to Brittas to "break into some caravans." But, their real intention, which they admitted to gardai was to "kidnap, rape and kill one woman a week" until they were caught - a garda interview recording of the pair revealed during the podcast. They admitted to gardai they drove around "on the lookout" for women. Later that night, as Elizabeth left the pub in Brittas alone, she was abducted and brutally raped and murdered by Shaw and Evans. A month after Elizabeth was attacked her body washed up on a beach in Co Wexford. Following a nationwide manhunt, her attackers were both arrested but not before they killed a second Irish woman, 23-year-old Mary Duffy. The two murderers Shaw and Evans received life sentences in prison. No one was ever convicted of the murder of Elizabeth Plunkett despite both men confessing to her murder. Documentary maker Nicoline Greer said: "It's been an honour to be able to tell Elizabeth's story and for the Plunkett family to have trusted us to tell it. When Kathleen and Bernie first came to us, I never could have imagined how far this story would take us. "Over the last year, I feel I have come to know Elizabeth and I hope that this series can go some way to restoring some justice and dignity to Elizabeth and the Plunkett family." Following a verdict of unlawful killing in January at her inquest, Ms Plunkett's family called on the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to reopen the case and resubmit a file to the DPP. On January 23, a jury of seven returned a verdict of unlawful killing in Ms Plunkett's case at an inquest at Gorey Courthouse in Co Wexford. Following the verdict, her heartbroken family issued a statement through a solicitor stating they are grateful to the jury for "restoring some dignity to our precious Elizabeth". Following the inquest two weeks ago, family solicitor James MacGuill read out a statement from the family calling on the DPP to prosecute Shaw for his part in her brutal killing. Mr MacGuill said outside Gorey Court: "Elizabeth was hunted down and savagely killed by two men who, less than a month later, went on to murder another woman, Mary Duffy. "Despite these vile criminals confessing to murdering both Elizabeth and Mary, they were only ever convicted of Mary's murder. With this new development, we're calling on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to reopen the case into Elizabeth's death and submit a new file to the DPP." They added: "Although one culprit died, the other remains in an Irish prison for murdering Mary Duffy. But he also confessed and was charged with falsely imprisoning, raping and murdering our sister Elizabeth – yet the DPP decided against prosecuting him for these crimes by entering a nolle prosequi. We now want the DPP to explain that decision." During the inquest hearing, Detective Inspector Murt Whelan from Wexford Garda Station told how during the course of their detention, Shaw and Evans admitted to being involved in the abduction, rape and murder of Elizabeth Plunkett. Shaw, who with accomplice Evans became known as the State's first serial killers, has been behind bars since September 1976. The twisted killer, who is likely to die in jail because of the severity of his crimes, met Evans in an English prison where they hatched their chilling plot to abduct, torture, rape and murder women. Their killing spree ended with the murder of young clerk Elizabeth Plunkett, 23, in Co Wicklow and cook Mary Duffy, 24, in Co Mayo. They were both handed life sentences in February 1978. Evil Evans spent almost four years in a coma at a Dublin hospital before dying of sepsis in 2012. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Daily Mirror
17 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Let's bring in Luke's Law - it should be a crime to film a tragedy'
If you missed Elizabeth Hyde's interview on Upfront with Katie Hannon, watch it back on the RTE Player. Broadcaster Hannon is a model of composure, but she was close to tears listening to broken-hearted Elizabeth, whose son Luke drowned in the River Lee in Cork last month. Luke, 34, died when onlookers too busy filming his death failed to come to his aid. Lifebuoys next to where he entered the water were untouched, while gawkers recorded Luke in difficulty on their phones and uploaded the scenes on social media. That's enough for me to back Elizabeth's call for Luke's Law, which would make it a criminal offence to record such an accident and share it online. We need such legislation if this is what the world has become. A fireman told the family he had never seen anything like it in 44 years' service; people had to be pushed out of the way for emergency workers to reach Luke. Elizabeth cried when she said: 'I can't get away from the vision of it. My beautiful child drowning, while they were just videoing. He could be with me here today if someone had tried.' At the news, she ran out on the street in her bare feet, screaming: 'Someone help me, my son is dead in the river. I know he was calling out for his Mam before he died.' Who stands by and watches someone die a preventable death, filming it for entertainment? Are they thinking about it differently now? Has it hit them in the aftermath? Or have they forgotten Luke Hyde already? It struck deep into my heart because I know that scene. I've run in bare feet in desperation. I grew up beside Blessington Lake, a deceptively picturesque reservoir in Co Wicklow which claims lives every year. It's a man-made lake, with currents and sudden drops. My father witnessed drownings on it that haunted him. Before I was a teenager, I would too. In 1989, the summer of Sixth Class, five of us went down to the Lake and only four of us came back. My cousin and schoolmate, Alan Clarke, died in front of me that day. He wasn't far out from the shore when he said: 'I'm out of my depth' and slipped under the water. Efforts were made to save him that nearly cost another life. I remember I couldn't feel the lake's hot stones burning my soles as I ran to get help. But it was too late. The impact was monumental. The whole town was shocked, a community in grief. His family could never be the same again. Neither were those of us with him. None of us will ever forget Alan. Drowning is usually silent and swift. Too often, it's young lads, like the two friends Emmanuel Familola, 16, and Matt Sibana, 18, who drowned in Donegal last month; or Max O'Connor in the Grand Canal at Kildare last year. An average of 100 people a year drowned in Ireland over the past decade. More will drown here over this summer. It's the second biggest cause of accidental death after road accidents. It's never advisable to go into the water after someone, unless you have lifesaving skills. But you can act. Irish Water Safety advises three actions, Shout, Reach, Throw. Shout to orientate the person back towards shore; reach with a stick or similar while you lie flat, and throw a ringbuoy or anything that floats. Never reach for your phone to record it for likes and shares, a reaction devoid of humanity. I support the call for Luke's Law - make it a crime.
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
RTE podcast series Stolen Sister explores murder of Elizabeth Plunkett
Elizabeth Plunkett was just 23 years of age when she was murdered by Ireland's first serial killers almost 50 years ago. Career criminals John Shaw and Geoffrey Evans from Lancashire left the UK and travelled around Ireland in the summer of 1976 resolving to kill one woman a week. They had only recently been released from prison when they abducted and brutally raped Elizabeth before murdering her. They later told gardai their intention was to "kidnap, rape and kill one woman a week" for as long as they could get away with it. Their killing spree ended with the murder of Elizabeth and cook Mary Duffy, 24, in Co Mayo. They were both handed life sentences in February 1978. Shockingly, despite Englishman Shaw confessing to the brutal killing of Elizabeth in August 1976 along with his now deceased partner-in-crime Geoffrey Evans, the pair were never actually convicted of her murder. The DPP at the time decided only to prosecute them for another murder, of Mary Duffy. Ms Plunkett, from Ringsend in Dublin, was raped, strangled and her body was tied to a lawnmower, before being rowed out to sea at Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow. Her remains were found on Duncormick beach in Co Wexford four weeks later. Now, for the first time Elizabeth's sisters Bernie and Kathleen are speaking out as they seek justice for Elizabeth, through RTÉ's latest podcast series, Stolen Sister, presented by Roz Purcell. This is the first time that any of Elizabeth's family have spoken about her death publicly. They're determined to get justice for her and restore some dignity to Elizabeth's memory. "We had tried every avenue, everything," Bernie says on the podcast. "We appealed and appealed and appealed. We went to the DPP, they said no, the Garda Commissioner said no and we went to the State solicitor's office," said Bernie. "This is our last resort, breaking our silence." Stolen Sister begins with the story of Elizabeth and how she fell in love with her boyfriend Damien. After spending a holiday together in France, the couple decided to meet friends for a night away in Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow on August 28, 1976. When Elizabeth waved goodbye to her mother that afternoon, nobody knew that it would be the last time her family would see her. The pals gathered in a pub in Brittas for drinks but a disagreement broke out and Elizabeth ended up leaving the pub. Meanwhile, Shaw and Evans had left Fethard in Tipperary where they were laying low following their release from prison for robberies and had driven to Dublin to collect suitcases belonging to Evans. They later decided to drive to Brittas to "break into some caravans." But, their real intention, which they admitted to gardai was to "kidnap, rape and kill one woman a week" until they were caught - a garda interview recording of the pair revealed during the podcast. They admitted to gardai they drove around "on the lookout" for women. Later that night, as Elizabeth left the pub in Brittas alone, she was abducted and brutally raped and murdered by Shaw and Evans. A month after Elizabeth was attacked her body washed up on a beach in Co Wexford. Following a nationwide manhunt, her attackers were both arrested but not before they killed a second Irish woman, 23-year-old Mary Duffy. The two murderers Shaw and Evans received life sentences in prison. No one was ever convicted of the murder of Elizabeth Plunkett despite both men confessing to her murder. Documentary maker Nicoline Greer said: "It's been an honour to be able to tell Elizabeth's story and for the Plunkett family to have trusted us to tell it. When Kathleen and Bernie first came to us, I never could have imagined how far this story would take us. "Over the last year, I feel I have come to know Elizabeth and I hope that this series can go some way to restoring some justice and dignity to Elizabeth and the Plunkett family." Following a verdict of unlawful killing in January at her inquest, Ms Plunkett's family called on the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to reopen the case and resubmit a file to the DPP. On January 23, a jury of seven returned a verdict of unlawful killing in Ms Plunkett's case at an inquest at Gorey Courthouse in Co Wexford. Following the verdict, her heartbroken family issued a statement through a solicitor stating they are grateful to the jury for "restoring some dignity to our precious Elizabeth". Following the inquest two weeks ago, family solicitor James MacGuill read out a statement from the family calling on the DPP to prosecute Shaw for his part in her brutal killing. Mr MacGuill said outside Gorey Court: "Elizabeth was hunted down and savagely killed by two men who, less than a month later, went on to murder another woman, Mary Duffy. "Despite these vile criminals confessing to murdering both Elizabeth and Mary, they were only ever convicted of Mary's murder. "With this new development, we're calling on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to reopen the case into Elizabeth's death and submit a new file to the DPP." They added: "Although one culprit died, the other remains in an Irish prison for murdering Mary Duffy. "But he also confessed and was charged with falsely imprisoning, raping and murdering our sister Elizabeth – yet the DPP decided against prosecuting him for these crimes by entering a nolle prosequi. We now want the DPP to explain that decision." During the inquest hearing, Detective Inspector Murt Whelan from Wexford Garda Station told how during the course of their detention, Shaw and Evans admitted to being involved in the abduction, rape and murder of Elizabeth Plunkett. Shaw, who with accomplice Evans became known as the State's first serial killers, has been behind bars since September 1976. The twisted killer, who is likely to die in jail because of the severity of his crimes, met Evans in an English prison where they hatched their chilling plot to abduct, torture, rape and murder women. Their killing spree ended with the murder of young clerk Elizabeth Plunkett, 23, in Co Wicklow and cook Mary Duffy, 24, in Co Mayo. Evil Evans spent almost four years in a coma at a Dublin hospital before dying of sepsis in 2012. The first episode of RTÉ Podcast Stolen Sister is available now on the RTÉ Radio Player and wherever you listen to your podcasts. Episodes will drop every Friday and will broadcast live on RTÉ Radio 1 at 6.30pm on Friday evenings. Anyone with information on Elizabeth's story should contact: documentaries@ The soundtrack to Stolen Sister was composed by Academy Award winning composer Stephen Warbeck and was recorded by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra
